Swans’ Five Banned Players Remain Eligible for Best-and-Fairest Award, Won’t Attend September 26

Five Sydney Swans players suspended for breaching club standards remain eligible to win the Bob Skilton Medal at the club’s awards night on October 1, despite their involvement in an alleged incident at the Pullman East Melbourne hotel last month. The players have requested not to attend the ceremony, a decision the club has accepted. Isaac Heeney, the reigning two-time medallist, is expected to poll strongly despite missing the Swans’ final three games.

Why the five players were suspended

Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, James Jordon and Riley Bice were stood down by the Swans for breaching club standards following an alleged incident at the Pullman East Melbourne hotel after the club’s round 23 win over Essendon. The suspension meant they missed Sydney’s round 24 match against North Melbourne and both SCG finals, including the preliminary final loss to Fremantle. Four of the five remain subjects of a Victoria Police investigation, with Riley Bice treated as a witness only.

Eligible but absent from the awards night

The Swans confirmed on Friday that all five players remain eligible for the Bob Skilton Medal, with voting criteria unchanged from previous years. However, the five have requested not to attend the October 1 awards ceremony at Sydney Town Hall, and the club has agreed. The eligibility decision means Heeney could claim a third consecutive medal without being present to accept it.

Heeney’s strong Brownlow showing despite suspension

Heeney polled 26 votes in this week’s Brownlow Medal count to finish equal eighth, the highest of any Swans player. The next-best Swan was Errol Gulden with 17 votes from 13 games. Blakey and Warner are also expected to feature prominently in the Bob Skilton Medal voting, despite their absence from the awards night.

Club avoids overshadowing the celebration

The decision to allow the five not to attend gives the Swans the opportunity to hold their awards night without the controversy dominating the event. The players returned to club headquarters for the first time this week for end-of-season exit meetings and to speak with teammates and staff, signalling a fracture between the suspended players and the rest of the squad.

Final Thoughts

The Swans’ choice to keep the five eligible while excluding them from the ceremony reflects the tension between maintaining fairness and managing the fallout from the Pullman scandal. With Heeney likely to win a third medal in absentia, the October 1 awards night will test whether the club can move forward while the police investigation continues.

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